Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata), Cone of the Month for January, 2025
Illustrated by Shawn Hebrank
An obscure tree from the Siskiyou and Klamath Mountains along the central coast of western North America, knobcone pines are extremely fire-adapted. Their serotinous cones stay closed and attached to the branch until a fire comes through and melts the sap between the scales (and usually kills the trees). As the cones open after the fire, their seeds flutter to the ground and regenerate the forest of their parents with a clean slate.
Fun Fact: The cones often stay on the tree for decades, getting completely enveloped in the wood as the stem expands.
Knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata), Cone of the Month for January, 2025
Illustrated by Shawn Hebrank
An obscure tree from the Siskiyou and Klamath Mountains along the central coast of western North America, knobcone pines are extremely fire-adapted. Their serotinous cones stay closed and attached to the branch until a fire comes through and melts the sap between the scales (and usually kills the trees). As the cones open after the fire, their seeds flutter to the ground and regenerate the forest of their parents with a clean slate.
Fun Fact: The cones often stay on the tree for decades, getting completely enveloped in the wood as the stem expands.